Bloodbound
by motherwolf25
Summary: The background story of my RPG character
1. Prologue

Bloodbound

The history of Arcania Bane Wolf

Prologue

One bitter February night of 1420 was broken by the shrill cry of a newborn hybrid baby, as a storm brewed furiously overhead. A small village was nestled at the base of a vast mountain and it was inhabited by a hateful group of mercenary hunters who were particularly devoted to the extinction and enslavement of the Lycan race. In their possession was a female, Larentia, personally appointed to attend the every need and desire of their chief, Kalayavan. On this particular night she would deliver his child.

When the newborn's cry pierce the air, the Lycan woman cradled her baby close, sobbing. Her daughter was perfect in her eyes. With wolfish eyes of piercing green, a thick head of dark hair, tiny claws and fangs, small fuzzy wolf ears and a little fluffy tail, this child was flawless to her. Not fully Lycan, not fully human, she was a hybrid and would never be fully accepted by either race due to the distrust and unrest between them.

She knew that her master would take this child from her, as he had the others, to torment her and remind her the fate of any Lycan-blooded creature unlucky enough to fall under his targeting gaze and be deemed useless, even his own offspring. She knew the fate that awaited her little girl and she clutched her close, breathing deep the scent of her child and binding to her memory what she knew would be the last and only moment would have.

Her pregnancy has been difficult and made more so by the harsh demands of her master and his men. She'd silently prayed to the Dragonlords of the mountain Heartfire, which rose majestically around them. She did not think they could hear or help her, but she begged them to spare her just once. Never did they answer.

With her eyes closed tightly, her tears fell like the rain outside as the clouds unleashed their fury. Thunder crashed and the child screamed. "Arcania" she whispered as she heard the guards approach with heavy footfalls, and her with a heavier heart. "I love you, my sweet child, forever! I'm so sorry I can't protect you!" She whispered in her daughter's ear. Wrapping her tightly in an embrace, she refused to let go when the guards tried to snatch the baby from her arms.

"Please let me have her!" She begged pitifully as Kalayavan himself stepped in front of her. With a brutal blow to the head, she fell unconscious with the infant screaming in her arms. He grabbed the baby by her tail and dangled her at eye level, sneering at her screams. His heart was colder than ice and he gave his men the order they knew was coming. "Take this THING to the cliff and throw it to the wolves!" he commanded, rounding on Larentia who was just beginning to stir. He took joy in the irony of a wolf child being killed by their lesser cousins. Kalayavan cruelly kicked her and grabbed her hair, dragging her to his hut and locking her inside, a mess of blood and tears that he would later enjoy making her clean up. He was murderously sadistic with absolutely no compassion for her kind at all, even a helpless newborn.

The guards grabbed the girl and held her by one leg, poking at her little ears and tail, laughing about how disgusting she was. They carelessly tossed her back and forth between them as they took her up the mountain path. Several times, they dropped her and laughed as she bled and her cries grew fainter. They were nearly as bad as their leader. He was by far the most brutal in regards to his methods of dispatching Lycans, but they eagerly awaited and followed his orders without hesitation.

Unbeknownst to them, the Dragonlord Azrael had indeed heard Larentia's heartbroken pleas and had been furious that he was forbidden from meddling in mortal affairs. Most of the other Dragonlords were not affected by the goings on of the mortal world, but he found himself inexplicably drawn to them. He had heard the woman name this girl. The others before had not been named because they had been disposed of before she ever got to hold them. This child was special. She had a name. She had life force. Despite her injuries, she had the will to survive, and he would ensure that she did. In a flash of silver, lightning struck the infant as she was thrown high and far off the cliff. When the guards opened their eyes after the blinding flash, they saw nothing and assumed she had been vaporized.

Returning with haste, the men told Kalayavan that the child had been struck by lightning and killed instantly. He sneered at Larentia as her broken wail echoed in the room. "Ah… music to my ears" he laughed. Her sorrow turned to rage as their cruel laughter reached her ears. This was too much. She had been forced to bear him child after child since her capture two decades ago, and she had never had a chance to hold any of them. Tonight, she had seen the life in her daughter's eyes and knowing that this monster had destroyed that innocence broke something inside her. She no longer cared if she lived or died. For years, survival had meant bending to the will of these men. She knew she would die, but she would take them down with her.

A primal instinct woke within her and her eyes flashed brilliant green as the subduing collar around her neck snapped in half with the sudden force of her transformation. Snarling as her body shifted into a massive black wolf, she leapt forward with all of her strength, snapping her jaws tightly into the nearest guard's shoulder and dragging him down as she pinned him with her body weight, ripping upward and tearing a mighty chunk of flesh and bone from him. The rest of the men's laughter instantly turned to angry shouts as they grabbed their spears and drove them into her sides. Howling with pain and rage, she swallowed the meat she had torn from the man and turned on them, leaving him bleeding out on the floor. Adrenaline and rage fueling her, she felt the pain but would not let it stop her. Not until she had destroyed them all.

Rounding to face the first man on her right, she knew they had already used their main weapons and would be unarmed for a few more moments. Leaping at him, she grabbed his arm and yanked him down, shaking her head side to side, quickly ripping his arm off. Spitting it out, she ran at the wall and leapt up, rebounding off of it and spinning back toward the guards. The poles of the spears sticking out of her struck several of the men, knocking them away or down, as she moved through them. Landing on massive, heavy paws, she swung herself wildly at them, snapping at anything that got within range. She could feel her strength waning and knew it would be over soon, but the screams of the guards gave her solace.

As she faced the last man, Kalayavan, they both knew that they would both be dead by morning light. With a final burst of strength, she leapt up at his throat, crushing it at the same moment that his sword pierced her heart. In a bloody heap, they both fell. His face twisted in shock, and hers in triumph. Her last fading vision was that of a silver dragon holding her precious baby. She knew then in an instant that her daughter was alive and protected, that the Dragonlords had finally given her mercy. With a peaceful smile on her lips, she took her last breath and her eyes glazed over lifelessly as her broken body finally came to rest.


	2. The Dragonlord's Decision

Bloodbound

Chapter 1

The Dragonlord's Decision

Upon returning to Heartfire Palace, home of the immortal Dragonlords, Azrael found himself surrounded by guards. He growled softly in warning as they advanced, effectively halting them in their tracks. "I assume my mother has summoned me." He said casually as the guards parted, allowing him to walk into the palace with the small squirming infant in his arms. She was still clinging to life but needed healing immediately. He knew his mother had a deep compassion and respect for life also, and hoped that he would be able to convince her of the merit of sparing this half-mortal infant.

Upon reaching Heartfire Throne, he bowed deeply, still cradling the baby. "Good evening Mother." He said, keeping his eyes down respectfully. "I have answered your summon with no resistance. Please allow me to explain myself." His mother, Druk, looked at him thoughtfully for a moment, then said quietly "Rise Azrael. I know what you have done. I know your heart and I know why you have done it. This does not change the ancient laws."

Azrael looked up at Druk, studying her carefully. He knew that this moment would be crucial not only for his standing in the eyes of the other Dragonlords, but also for the fate of the small girl. Holding her up for his mother to see, Azrael spoke. "Mother, I have not meddled with the mortal's affairs. This child was to be killed and thrown aside. I have seen the cruelty of those below us and witnessed time and time again the needless and senseless waste of life at their hands. I have refrained for many years, and seen many a dead infant of mixed blood thrown from that cliff. I have heard the pleas of the Lycan who birthed them and our laws forbade me from interfering. She now lies dead with them. I saw her in the ether as she passed. Her death was not quick. I could not let this child die. The woman named her… Please Mother, take her in, I implore you!"

When he finished, he immediately lowered his head, eyes cast down as he heard the footfalls of Druk approach. The baby was lifted from his hands and a soft cooing could be heard as green met blue and the wolf and dragon locked eyes. Azrael heard his mother sigh and hid his smile, knowing that she would concede. "Well, I suppose that since the child was meant to die, it would not immediately affect the mortals if she stayed here on Heartfire with us." She smiled gently at the little girl, then gave into a full toothy grin as her tiny hand wrapped around the dragon's finger. A light blue flame began to envelope the girl as her wounds healed.

She looked down at Azrael, laying her hand gently on his shoulder. "You said her mother had named her?" Azrael looked up, grinning at Druk. "Yes Mother. Her name is Arcania." The elder Dragonlord smiled down at the girl, one finger gently stroking the soft little ears. "Arcania. Welcome to Heartfire child." She pressed her fingers lightly to her forehead and Arcania's eyes began to glow silver. Electricity began to crackle on her skin and she stiffened in Druk's arms momentarily. Azrael recognized the aura of the Dragonseal as Druk claimed the child into he clan. This ritual was not often performed and he had never seen any non-dragon receive the blessing.

Releasing the energy, Druk removed her hand and gently handed her back to Azrael. "I shall send instruction immediately for a new chamber to be built adjacent to yours. In the meantime, why don't you show your new sister around?" She grinned. Azrael could not hide his joy at the word "sister" as he looked down at her and smiled broadly. "Thank you Mother!" he exclaimed, unceremoniously grabbing her into a tight hug.

Calling her aide, Druk instructed that a fine chamber of granite and obsidian be added to the chambers of Prince Azrael. Meanwhile, Azrael sped from the chamber, Arcania cradled in his arms as he dashed through the palace, wanting to show her everything at once. He knew she was too little to understand his words, but there would now be plenty of time to teach her everything.


End file.
